The park encompasses the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, a glacial basin surrounded by a ring of peaks between and high, and drained by the Rishi Ganga through the Rishi Ganga Gorge, a steep, almost impassable defile. The entire park lies at an elevation of more than above mean sea level.

Layout of the Sanctuary

The Sanctuary can be divided into two parts, Inner and Outer. Together, they are surrounded by the main Sanctuary Wall, which forms a roughly square outline, with high, continuous ridges on the north, east, and south sides. On the west side, less high but still imposing ridges drop from the north and south toward the Rishi Ganga Gorge, which drains the Sanctuary towards the west.Garhwal-Himalaya-Ost, 1:150,000 scale topographic map, prepared in 1992 by...Read More